The Christmas Story

I'm not sure where I've been for the last few days, but clearly it was not blogging. I apologize. (maybe crafting)

First let me say that I was unexpectedly horrified that the assassination of Benazir Bhutto (I cannot believe that Dragon got that name correct!) For a long time. I have had an uncomfortable feeling about the United States' relationship with Pakistan. Seems to me, these folks have been playing every side against the middle for a long time... while we've been focusing on a Iraq and Iran. I don't know that the former prime minister would have been any great change for the better, but what I am saying is that with the volatility around the world, we cannot afford to take our eye off the ball--any ball.
The United States has become severly over extended in so many hot spots around the world and we keep getting pulled farther and farther away from home. No one is watching the cookie jar--I'm just sayin' If anyone called to ask me, I would simply suggest that WE bring OUR military home to protect US. Oh, and while we're at it, maybe we could keep some of that money at home. Instead of putting it in bazillion Dollar embassies in Baghdad [which will get blown up] or ginormous court room buildings complete with restaurants at Guantánamo Bay. (To think we were upset about "a bridge to nowhere" in Alaska.).

Back to better topics. Christmas. I got a lovely call Christmas Eve from my family in Wisconsin, enjoying their Italian ziti.

On Christmas morning I celebrated with the traditional deviled eggs and eggnog. I'm not sure how this started, but for many years. The family would come to my house for Christmas Eve and we would have chili (just because there were so many sweets and cookies-spicy seemed like a good idea) and then open gifts and then off to church.

On Christmas morning, I would get a phone call at some ungodly hour telling me that the children were up-which meant that I would throw on my clothes, jump in my car and speed the 11 miles into town before they were allowed to come downstairs and open presents. When my niece and nephew were little, it was great fun to watch their faces. My brother would set up his video camera and mom would keep the kids upstairs. When all was right... they would come running downstairs to see the tree lit and presents everywhere. They needed some supervision finding their presents at least until my niece was old enough to read. By that time, we could usually sit for a little while and she would play Santa. Once the living room was covered with wrapping paper and boxes we could relax and coffee, deviled eggs and eggnog.

By 7 a.m., Christmas was pretty well over. At some point, another tradition started with cinnamon rolls that one of their neighbors provided every Christmas morning. And as we all got older, the adults would find time for a nap while the kids entertained themselves.

By the time I finished my coffee-deviled eggs and eggnog, it was time for church. I did not go out Christmas Eve, but everyone else must have because they were very few people in church Christmas morning and they were all adults. I think I counted about 14. No choir. No music. It was Christmas-morning-liturgy-lite.

Just before the service started, the priest came in and asked who wanted to read (writer is chuckling), it was a casual sort of thing. Two people volunteered and then debated which readings take. The man in front of me-drinking coffee- opted for the second reading. It was a very spartan service, but I really liked it. 40 minutes no muss, no fuss.

I went home and changed my clothes, took the dogs out for a walk and then drove into town (Albuquerque was pretty much a ghost town) to see a movie. The parking lot at the theater, however, was packed. I chose to see Charlie Wilson's War which I thought was very well done, and interesting. Tom Hanks did an excellent job, and Philip Seymour Hoffman was fabulous. I think Julia Roberts did a great job. But in retrospect, I would have liked to have seen Jane Fonda in the part. (Sadly, I spent two hours and a broken seat, from which I was too lazy to get out of and paid for it the next two days).
On the way out of the theater, I stopped to watch a few minutes of Juno, which looked fabulous. I would have stayed except that the weather turned a very threatening and since a winter storm was predicted, I thought it best to head home. My original plan was to see if there was a Chinese restaurant opened and bring home some dinner. Well let me tell you, Nothing was open, I was lucky to get gas. It was snowing all the way to the canyon, and then it stopped; by the time I got home it was sunshine, go figure.
The holiday is over and I can put the tree back in the closet. My dining room table is still decorated for crafting and today I will make an attempt to put some of that stuff away.

So that was my week--except for a neighborhood open house yesterday at which I was one of two neighbors who showed up. It has not been snowy and bright, but it has been cold and windy. I hope this will be one of those "December goes out like a lion, the new year comes in like a lamb" kinds of things.

So Happy New Year, let's all hope and pray for a more Peaceful 2008.